Jordan Hendry provides 2011 Training Camp Scouting Report

The opening weekend of the Denver Outlaw’s 2011 Training camp was a blast. Although injuries and NLL postseasons cut down on the number of players able to attend, the pace did not suffer. Coach Tom Slate did a great job keeping the team focused and together.

Favorite moment had to be standing with goalies Ben Brown and Adam Fullerton, as a 6-on-6 play carried out and developed into yet another highlight reel. It was one of those moments that you take a look around and realize that you are indeed in the thick of it all, that everyone is here to have a great time through playing their hearts out. The team brings a lot of heart and intensity, a great combination with the caliber of play. The guys are very dedicated and all want nothing more than the opportunity to show that they have the goods and represent Denver’s lacrosse talent.

A big shout out to Boy Scouts Troop #264 and the boy and girl scouts of America. During our evening practice we were able to compete in front of hundreds of young scouts who stayed the evening camping on INVESCO Field at Mile High. They provided an extra incentive to go all out and were awesome company to have.

In recognition of the players’ intensity and skill I decided to put together a post that talked about the guys competing at this past weekend’s training camp. It is organized by their respective position and meant to be a fun read. Please enjoy. A special thanks goes out to the coaching and managerial staff. They will continue to go unmentioned throughout the rest of this article. The players below can’t provide the entertainment to fans nor the mentorship to kids, like the aforementioned boy scouts, without the services you provide. Thanks for keeping us healthy and playing.

TRAINING CAMP ’11 SCOUTING REPORT

ATTACK – Iannucci, Westervelt, Mundorf, Martin

The names are associated with an obnoxious amount of points, games played, and lacrosse lineage. The attitudes are laid back to a point of ease, but let the relaxed nature not fool you; there is an intense desire to excel behind the cool façade of these all stars.

LSM - Bocklet, Roy

Watch your arms. Return to the sideline or defensive half of the field when they strip you. Don’t bother trying to put together a decent ride to regain possession after they twig you: you’re just going to add insult to your injured pride.

DEFENSE - Cittadino, Thompson, Zink, McCarthy, Holmes

They are faster than you. They are smarter than you. Invesco is occupied by these angle taking, stick-swinging angels of death; sole investment is to play: intent to harm and disrupt, fueled through head, heart, and hustle. Un-orderly citizens in a world where the throttle is pressed firmly at full, these are the names that seek to shut down your motivation of success.

GOAL – Fullerton, Brown, Schwartzman

Good luck. If the defense in front is not enough to intimidate and maim, try getting one past the quick-handed net-minders. There are no weaknesses: all possess the size and mental capacities to take away shot real estate and bait you into a bad decision. Forget the fact that when these snapdragons tear your dream of hitting pay dirt away from you, they will send a ‘thank you’ card in the form of unleashing an unapologetic pass to any one of the aforementioned players. That includes the attackmen at the top of the list. Don’t think that an 80 yard dime is out of the question; it’s a fact.

FACEOFF – Dalton, Hennessey

Don’t think. Just react. It’s your best shot at an extremely long shot. These are the bulls that enter a ring where heads, shoulders, and mass collide in an effort to dislodge an orange skittle (lacrosse ball) in an effective, lethal manner. It may look like a rotating pile of meat but please take my word for it; the technique has been honed over hundreds of thousands of repetitions. One day, the same pre-faceoff procedure will be executed, except with huge implications of the line. These guys are no joke. They will beat you to the punch, pop the ball out with ease, and launch an offensive that Patton would approve of.

Looking for athletes? This is a hit squad that shows no let down. Pull a name out of the hat to form a line, all can work seamlessly together and play off of individual styles and techniques. This is the one place that you will find Pirates socializing with members of the Starship Enterprise as these middies converge to fire off cannons and lasers. Too fast to play them straight up… best bets are to hit the showers early and forget that you ever tried.

This was a really fun first week of training camp. Next weekend a couple more guys getting out of the NLL season will add a further layer of depth and skill. On Saturday we will have a practice in the morning; then the Outlaws face the Chesapeake Bayhawks in a preseason tilt, maybe they will make use of this scouting report? One more practice on Sunday will wrap up the 2011 training camp for the Denver Outlaws. Check back often for the latest news on your Denver Outlaws.